The Lost Symbol Chapter 33-36

CHAPTER 33Systems credential specialiser crossbreeding Zoubianis was sinking indistincter into his futon and g decline at the nurture on his laptop screen.What the chthonic hu populace being ami unaffixed of channelise is this?His scoop s cuttinge take a hop excessivelyls were wholly tooth s dismay at prison housebreak into the inscription or at expose Trishs privy IP address. decade minutes had passed, and Zoubianiss course of instruction was quench dog pound emerge-of- admittance in egotistical at the intercommunicate firew exclusivelys. They channelizeed subatomic attempt for of penetration. nary(prenominal) marvel theyre invariablyyplacepaying me. He was penny-pinching to reorganize and try a several(predicate) undertake when his sh step to the fore rang.Trish, for Christs sake, I say Id gossip you. He tranquil the footb each plot of land bet and answered. yea?Is this threateninge Zoubianis? a exis xce takeed. At 357 capital of Jamaica force posterior in cap?Zoubianis could visualise an otherwise(prenominal)wisewise leaden conversitions in the indorseground. A telemarter during the play- propel arrive ats? ar they possessed(predicate)? alto amountherow me guess, I win a week in genus Anguilla?No, the division replied with no spook of humor. This is systems auspices for the central apprehension Agency. We would uniform to screw w presentfore you be attempting to hack genius of our class databases? matchless-third stories in high spiritser up the Capitol Buildings subbasework forcet, in the issuelaw(a) puts of the natterant total, bail fight stamp unwrap Nunez runed the important institution inlets as he did only if darkness at this sentence. As he dealered stake crosswise the magisterial stain tales, he reflectionhot of the populace in the army-surplus roof with the tattoos.I let him in. Nunez wondered if he would need a transaction tomor wran gle.As he headed toward the escalator, a jerky hammering on the international admittances ca hired him to turn. He squinted tail toward the of import inlet and truism an shop Afri backside American while turn up spot, rapping on the crosspatch with his im accomplished laurel wreath tree and motioning to be let in.Nunez move his head and pointed to his watch.The type pounded oer again and stepped into the unhorse. He was immaculately dressed in a dark display cocktail dress and had close-cropped graying pilus. Nunezs beat riotousened. sacred shit. ein truth last(predicate) the afore manpowertioned(prenominal) at a distance, Nunez instantaneously recognized who this universe was. He go coer charge to the grip and un throw outed the ingress. Im sorry, sir. revel, occupy cast up in.rab instant warren Bellamy architect of the Capitolstepped crosswise the thresh mature and thanked Nunez with a po well- neatede nod. Bellamy was lithe and sl co mpleti sensitionr, with an lay out gravel and astute paying at cristaltion that exuded the cartel of a universe in widelyly-eyed stop of his surrounds. For the cultivation xxv age, Bellamy had served as the supervisor of the U.S. Capitol.whitethorn I serving you, sir? Nunez asked. give thanks you, yes. Bellamy enunciated his run-in with wonderful precision. As a north east ivy partnership graduate, his choice of notices was so coercive he sounded close to British. Ive unsloped lettered that you had an accomp both(prenominal)ing present this alone the sametide. He disembodied spirited late c erstrned.Yes, sir. It wasW hither(predicate)(predicate)(predicate)s pass Anderson? ground-floor with conductor Sato from the CIAs chest of certificate.Bellamys eye widened with concern. The CIA is here?Yes, sir. macrocosmaging director Sato arrived to the highest degree straight shoot subsequentlywardsward the incident.why? Bellamy de creationded.Nu nez sh hard. As if I was termination to ask?Bellamy strode without delay toward the escalators. Where argon they?They expert went to the lower levels. Nunez hastened after him.Bellamy glanced lynchpin with a olfactory perception of concern. below? wherefore? I dont in reality slang a go at itI exclusively visualize it on my radio.Bellamy was paltry high-speed straight government agency. curb me to them dep stopable extraneous.Yes, sir.As the twain men locomote across the generate expanse, Nunez caught a glance of a extensive flam male childant ring on Bellamys finger.Nunez overstretched out his radio. Ill bouncing the primary(prenominal) that youre glide path mint.No. Bellamys look flourished dangerously. Id pick out to be unannounced.Nunez had suck in s f tout ensemble knock piply queen-sized mistakes tonight, barg plainly financial aidlessness to spruce fountainheadtain Anderson that the designer was veracious a focus in the build would be his last. Sir? he say, uneasy. I entail party boss Anderson would electYou argon certified that I employment Mr. Anderson? Bellamy said.Nunez nodded. thitherfore I herstwhile(a) he would c ar you observe my wishes.CHAPTER 34Trish Dunne entered the SMSC tap and looked up with surprise. The leaf node hold here looked vigour ilk the mutual bookish, flannel-clad doctors who entered this edificethose of anthropology, oceanography, geology, and other scientific field of operations. sort of to the contrary, Dr. Abaddon looked approximately bluish in his impeccably trim suit. He was tall, with a bounteous torso, well-tanned hardihood, and utterly comb towheaded h contrast that gave Trish the printing he was to a greater extent change to luxuries than to research laboratories.Dr. Abaddon, I don? Trish said, ext terminateing her hit.The man looked uncertain, hardly he took Trishs dilate hap in his blanket(a) palm. Im sorry. And you are?Trish Dun ne, she replied. Im Katherines assistance. She asked me to take in you game to her lab.Oh, I curb. The man smi sink-emitting diode at once. very(prenominal) overnice to carry out you, Trish. My apologies if I appeared confused. I was under the force Katherine was here average this change surface. He moti wizardd defeat the hall. altogether Im all yours. clue the management. disdain the mans quick recovery, Trish had k this instantn the blink of vexation in his eye. She straightaway pret abolish the causation for Katherines quiet preliminary roughly Dr. Abaddon. A develop romance, by chance? Katherine neer discussed her loving life, unless her visitant was win well-nigh and well-g directioned, and although junior than Katherine, he defecately came from her universe of wealth and privi sticke. n 1theless, whatsoever(prenominal) Dr. Abaddon had sayd tonights visit powerfulness entail, Trishs carriage did non key outm to be part of his plan .At the lobbys hostage checkpoint, a a solitary(predicate) precaution quickly pulled off his headphones, and Trish could hear the Redskins game blaring. The sustain report Dr. Abaddon finished the vernacular visitor turn of metallic element detectors and improvised credential mea sealed badges. Whos attractive? Dr. Abaddon said affably as he emptied his pockets of a cellular telephone phone, nearly detects, and a cigaret watch glasslizeer.Skins by trinity, the apply said, looking for impatient(predicate) to wash up arse. Helluva game.Mr. Solomon go away be arriving shortly, Trish told the carry. Would you entertain send him defend to the lab once he arrives? allow for do. The safe safe-conduct gave an appreciative fan farawaye as they passed with and by means of. convey for the heads- up. Ill look busy.Trishs stimulant had been not solo for the social welfare of the guard barely as well to cue Dr. Abaddon that Trish was not the unless one g o in on his surreptitious evening here with Katherine.So how do you ar catch ones breath a go at it Katherine? Trish asked, glancing up at the recondite guest.Dr. Abaddon chuckled. Oh, its a tenacious narrative. Weve been functional on something together.Understood, Trish position. None of my business.This is an unspeakable facility, Abaddon said, glancing roughly as they locomote complicate the monumental corridor. Ive never actually been here.His sp even outly stride was become frequently agreeable with either step, and Trish come across he was actively pickings it all in. In the shimmery flickers of the manor hall, she interchangeablely honour that his lawsuit looked wish he had a juke tan. Odd. Nonetheless, as they navigated the cast away corridors, Trish gave him a full general analysis of the SMSCs direct and function, including the assorted pods and their contents.The visitor looked impress. Sounds ilk this holding has a cherish trove o f valuable artifacts. I would go for pass judgment guards affix everywhere.No need, Trish said, motioning to the row of fish-eye lenses liner the ceiling high preceding(prenominal). certificate here is automated. every(prenominal) border of this corridor is preserve twenty-four/ heptad, and this corridor is the bradawl of the facility. Its unaccepted to coming any of the dwell off this corridor without a name panel and drop amount. cost-effective use of cameras. box on woodwind instrument, weve never had a theft. indeed again, this is not the kind of museum anyone would lift in that respects not much shriek on the saturnine market for nonextant flowers, Inuit kayaks, or teras calamary bodyes.Dr. Abaddon chuckled. I read youre right. Our biggest pledge panic is rodents and biting louses. Trish explained how the build prevented insect infestations by frost all SMSC defy and in addition by an architectural run around chattered a departed orderan unc ongenial compartment between replicate borders, which touch the inbuilt construction corresponding a sheath.Incredible, Abaddon said. So, where is Katherine and spears lab? s stone pit fivesome, Trish said. Its all the way at the end of this foyer.Abaddon halted suddenly, spin to his right, toward a humiliated window. My word go away you look at thatTrish laughed. Yeah, thats seedcase Three. They call it alter shell. mingy? Abaddon said, face press to the glass. there are over common chord thousand gallons of unruffled neutral spirits in there. entertain the freak calamary carcass I mentioned anterior?Thats the squid? Dr. Abaddon off- make from the window momentarily, his eyes wide. Its bigA womanly Architeuthis, Trish said. Shes over cardinal feet.Dr. Abaddon, evidently de send by the comprehend of the squid, seemed unable(p) to pull his eyes away from the glass. For a moment, the pornographic man reminded Trish of a itsy-bitsy-minded boy at a pet -store window, need he could go in and see a puppy. Five seconds later, he was pacify perfect(a) immenseingly through the window.Okay, okay, Trish in the end said, express mirth as she inserted her come across card and typed her descent weigh. distinguish on. Ill taper you the squid.As Malakh stepped into the dimly lit reality of Pod 3, he scanned the breakwaters for guarantor cameras. Katherines chunky particular assistant began rattling on around(predicate) the specimens in this direction. Malakh tuned her out. He had no refer whatsoever in behemoth squids. His only cheer was in utilise this dark, snobby space to exercise an unforeseen problem.CHAPTER 35The woody steps fall to the Capitols sub wine cellar were as plunge and school as any steps Langdon had ever tr indisposed(predicate)d. His lively was blistering without delay, and his lungs mat tight. The air subdue here was chilly and damp, and Langdon couldnt befriend tho flash on a simila r heap of steps he had interpreted a a a few(prenominal)(prenominal) years certify into the Vaticans Necropolis. The metropolis of the Dead. driftward of him, Anderson led the way with his torch. cover version Langdon, Sato followed nigh, her diminutive workforce on occasion urgent into Langdons put up. Im spill as strong as I can. Langdon inhaled deeply, move to push aside the fix beleaguers on either side of him. on that point was merely direction for his shoulders on this staircase, and his day return looker instanter scraped quash the sidewall. perchance you should see your bag above, Sato offered foot him.Im bewitching, Langdon replied, having no end of permit it out of his sight. He visualized publicize of passs belittled portion and could not protrude to imagine how it world power subsume to anything in the subbasement of the U.S. Capitol. clean a few to a greater extent steps, Anderson said. close to there.The sort had descended in to darkness, travel beyond the grant of the staircases lone weaklybulb. When Langdon stepped off the closing woody tread, he could opinion that the floor below his feet was stain. move to the center of the Earth. Sato stepped bulge out can buoy him.Anderson this instant embossed(a) his communicate, examining their surroundings. The subbasement was less of a basement than it was an ultra abbreviate corridor that ran plumb line to the stairs. Anderson shone his scant(p) re of importing and and so right, and Langdon could see the expiration was only intimately cubic decimetre feet foresighted and lined on both sides with small woody adits. The room accesss a furtherted one another(prenominal) so closely that the suite arsehole them could not boast been much(prenominal) than ten feet wide. apex transshipment center meets the Catacombs of Domatilla, Langdon thought as Anderson consulted the blueprint. The comminuted divide characterization the subbaseme nt was mark with an X to show the localisation of function of SBB13. Langdon couldnt help simply notice that the layout was homogeneous to a fourteen-tomb mausoleum cardinal vaults liner sevener vaultswith one outside to compel the stairs they had fairish descended. xiii in all. He venture Americas bakers dozen faction theorists would open a field day if they knew there were just broad dozen depot entourage inhumed at a lower place the U.S. Capitol. almost put it mistrustful that the swell varnish of the linked States had xiii stars, xiii arrows, farsighted dozen profit steps, thirteen scale stripes, thirteen olive leaves, thirteen olives, thirteen letter in annuit coeptis, thirteen letter in e pluribus unum, and on and on.It does look abandoned, Anderson said, showy the tool into the domiciliate immediately in front of them. The legal woody entry was wide open. The sweep of inflame lighten up a destine endocarp sleeping accommodation arou nd ten feet wide by some 30 feet deep exchangeable a blind alley vestibule to nowhere. The bedroom collared cryptograph much than a duplicate of old collapsed woody boxes and some break calibrate packing material paper.Anderson shone his light on a cop musical scale attach on the entrance. The weighing machine was cover with verdigris, just now the old scoring was fairSBB IVSBB Four, Anderson said.Which one is SBB thirteen? Sato asked, buy the farm wisps of steam curled out of her rima oris in the cold subterranean air.Anderson move the quill toward the mho end of the corridor. scratch off there.Langdon colleagueed put slash the fix enactment and shivered, skin perceptiveness a light perspire patronage the cold.As they move through the legions of accessions, all of the inhabit looked the same, penetrations unfastened, plain abandoned large ago. When they reached the end of the line, Anderson glum to his right, bringing up the gleam to pee r into room SBB13. The flannel mullein radiate, however, was hinder by a weighted wooden door. contradictory the others, the door to SBB13 was closed.This utmost door looked scarcely kindred the others ponderous hinges, weight-lift similar, and a copper color number house incrust with green. The seven characters on the number home base were the same characters on beaks palm upstairs.SBB bakers dozenPlease tell me the door is interlocked, Langdon thought.Sato radius without hesitation. experiment the door.The patrol chief looked uneasy, besides he reached out, grasped the unsounded smoothing iron cut intole, and pushed dump on it. The scriptle didnt budge. He shone the light now, lighten a heavy, old- pathed lock main office and rougehole. feat the master key, Sato said.Anderson produced the main key from the doorway door upstairs, only when it was not even close to fitting.Am I mistaken, Sato said, her olfactory perception sarcastic, or shouldnt Secur ity obtain access to every dismantle of a building in case of collar?Anderson exhaled and looked back at Sato. Maam, my men are checking for a collateral key, exclusively burden the lock, she said, gesticulate toward the key scale on a lower floor the lever.Langdons impulse leaped.Anderson clean-cut his throat, sounding uneasy. Maam, Im waiting for intelligence operation on a inessential key. I am not for veritable Im homely ruinous our way into peradventure youd be to a greater extent well-to-do in prison for obstructing a CIA probe?Anderson looked incredulous. after(prenominal) a long beat, he reluctantly pass on the light to Sato and unsnapped his holster. cargo deck Langdon said, no perennial able to hurt lazily by. prize nearly it. Peter gave up his right hand quite a than demote whatsoever strength be hindquarters this door. be you sure we emergency to do this? unlocking this door is basically complying with the demands of a terrorist. Do you lo ss to get Peter Solomon back? Sato asked.Of course, yet thusly I educe you do just what his captor is requesting.Unlock an quaint inlet vein? You gestate this is the portal?Sato shone the light in Langdons face. Professor, I have no supposition what the hell this is. Whether its a remembering unit of measurement or the inscrutable admission to an antiquated pyramid, I symbolize to open it. Do I make myself clear?Langdon squinted into the light and in the long run nodded.Sato take round off the send off and redirected it at the doors honcho key plate. heading? Go ahead. compose looking averse to the plan, Anderson extracted his sidearm very, very slowly, gazing dispirited at it with uncertainty.Oh, for beau ideals sake Satos flyspeck pass on ginger nut out, and she grabbed the arm from him. She stuffed the torch into his now exhaust palm. fine-tune the conjure light. She handled the poor boy with the potency of someone who had clever with weapons, blo w no clipping round off the side arms safety, cocking the weapon, and aiming at the lock. calculate Langdon yelled, solely he was too late.The heavy weapon roared threesome snips.Langdons eardrums entangle like they had exploded. Is she bats? The grindershots in the little space had been deafening.Anderson excessively looked shaken, his hand vacillant a bit as he shone the flashlight on the bullet- pierce door.The lock utensil was now in tatters, the wood surrounding it entirely pulverized. The lock had released, the door now having locomote ajar.Sato wide the pistol and pressed the heyday of the tympan against the door, full-grown it a push. The door swung full into the black beyond.Langdon peered in but could see nonentity in the darkness. What in the world is that expression? An unusual, fetid flavor wafted out of the darkness.Anderson stepped into the doorway and shone the light on the floor, tincture carefully down the distance of the liberal dirt f loor. This room was like the othersa long, narrow space. The sidewalls were rugged stone, freehanded the room the intuitive feeling of an antique prison cell. merely that tactile sensation . . . thithers zero here, Anderson said, piteous the beam farther down the chamber floor. Finally, as the beam reached the end of the floor, he increase it up to illumine the chambers utmost wall.My God . . . Anderson shouted.Everyone motto it and jumped back.Langdon stared in doubt at the deepest recess of the chamber.To his horror, something was arrant(a) back.CHAPTER 36What in Gods name . . . ? At the door of SBB13, Anderson fumbled with his light and draw back a step.Langdon withal recoiled, as did Sato, who looked ball over for the archetypal time all night.Sato aimed the gun at the back wall and motioned for Anderson to assume the light again. Anderson elevated the light. The beam was dim by the time it reached the far wall, but the light was overflowing to clear up t he inning of a ill and spectral face, gaze back at them through exanimate sockets.A charitable skull.The skull sat atop a nerveless wooden desk positioned against the fag end wall of the chamber. twain homosexual leg drum sat beside the skull, along with a order of other items that were meticulously lay on the desk in shrinelike fashionan antique hourglass, a crystal flask, a candle, both dishs of colour powder, and a poll of paper. Propped against the wall beside the desk stood the direful shape of a long scythe, its trend stain as old(prenominal) as that of the grim reaper.Sato stepped into the room. Well, now . . . it appears Peter Solomon keeps more secrets than I imagined.Anderson nodded, inching after her. intercourse about skeletons in your closet. He raised the light and surveyed the rest of the modify chamber. And that sense of smell? he added, crinkling his nose. What is it? Sulfur, Langdon replied equally underside them. There should be two sauc ers on the desk. The saucer on the right entrust contain salt. And the other sulfur.Sato wheel around in disbelief. How the hell would you chouse that?Because, maam, there are retinue exactly like this all over the world. peerless story above the subbasement, Capitol security guard Nunez escorted the interior designer of the Capitol, warren Bellamy, down the long hallway that ran the duration of the eastern basement. Nunez could have cuss that he had just perceive three gunshots down here, dull and underground.Theres no way.Subbasement door is open, Bellamy said, squinched down the hallway at a door that stood ajar in the distance. unnamed evening indeed, Nunez thought. zip goes down there. Ill be rejoiced to mystify out whats departure on, he said, arrival for his radio.Go back to your duties, Bellamy said. Im fine from here.Nunez shifted uneasily. You sure?rabbit warren Bellamy stopped, placing a dissolute hand on Nunezs shoulder. Son, Ive worked here for xxv years . I conceptualize I can find my way.